Mr Taseer was assassinated by his security guard and personnel of Punjab Elite Force, Mumtaz Qadri, on January 4, 2011 at Kohsar Market in Islamabad.

The high-profile slaying of Punjab provincial governor, Salman Taseer, by officer Mumtaz Qadri in January in Islamabad was protested by liberal Muslims.

State-run Pakistan Television says Qadri was convicted and sentenced on Saturday in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi close to the capital. The trial was held in a prison and was closed to the media.

Qadari was detained seconds after the shooting and has admitted to it. He said Taseer deserved to die because of his criticism of Pakistani laws that mandate the death sentence for his ‘blasphemous’ statements.